Garment holding clip



June 6, 1939. Y OLIVER GARMENT HOLDING CLIP Filed May 24, 1957 INVENTORPatented June 6, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARMENT HOLDING CLIPLee Oliver, New York, N. Y., assignor to The Connecticut Web and BuckleCompany, Bridgeport, 001111., a corporation of Connecticut ApplicationMay 24, 1937, Serial No. 144,400

2 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in garmentholders, and has particular relation to a garment holding clip adaptedfor use on suspenders, ladies skirts, snow suits,

5; garters, etc.

An object of the invention is to provide a clip of the characterindicated and which is of inexpensive construction, easily operated andwhich when attached to a garment holds fast 10. thereto and will notbecome accidentally released.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following detailed description taken in connection with the 15':accompanying drawing wherein satisfactory embodiments of the inventionare shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the details disclosed, but includes all such variations andmodifications as fall within 7 the spirit of the invention and the scopeof the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevatlon'al view of the improved clip showing thesame as attaching a suspender strap to a garment;

Fig. 2 is an edge elevational view at right angles to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the clip, the latter beingopen or released;

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the clip being closed;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view looking into the gripping end of the0111);

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view throughthe clip body;

Fig. 7 shows the blank from which the clip body is formed; and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing a slight modification. 7

Referring in detail to the drawing, the improved 4U- clip comprises abody H] and a lever ll pivotally connected, as'and for the purpose to beset forth in detail. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the lever II is attachedto the lower end of a suspended strap I2, and the clip serves to connector at- 45 tach said suspender strap to a pair of trousers or the like,of. which a portion is shown at l3.

The lever l I is at one end provided with a loop or eye l4 through whichthe strap or the like I2 may be threaded, and slightly inwardly of such50' loop the lever is offset at an angle providing an inclined pertion[5, the inner end of which is bent to provide a toe-like portion l6extending under the loop portion of the lever. On the opposite edges ofthe toe-like portion 16 are lugs or pivotal mounting portions ll adaptedfor the pivotal mounting of the lever on the body ID as will appear.

Body I0 is formed of a single piece of spring metal, the blank fromwhich such body is formed being shown at l8 in Fig. '7. The blank isstamped from sheet metal, and in forming the body the blank I8 is bentupon itself intermediate its ends to provide a pair of arms 19 and 20having their free ends 2| and 22 extending toward one another, but solocated relatively due to the fact that one arm is slightly shorter thanthe other, that on the arms being pressed toward one another said endsare moved into overlapping relation, the end 22 being toothed as at 23and being adapted to enter at the inner side of. end 2|. Each arm l9 and20 is also provided adjacent its free or clamping end with ribs orflanges [9a and 2011 respectively on its opposite side edges andextending backwardly from the free ends of the arms a suitable distanceto give a better grip on the garment as will later be described.Incidentally they also strengthen the arms and assist in preventingbending under the clamping action.

Intermediate its ends the arm l9 carries ears 24 straddling or extendingacross the edges of the arm 20 and in fact projecting beyond such arm20. Arm'Zfl' is provided with curved surfaces 25 and 26 leading to atransverse recess 21 located between the ears 24. Each ear is providedwith an opening or hole 28, and after the body and lever are formed thelugs I! on the edges of the toe-like portion of the lever are receivedin the openings 28 in the ears whereby the lever is pivotally mounted onthe body.

When the body and lever are related as in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 the springjaws or arms I9 and 20 of the body have been pressed toward one anotherand their ends 2| and 22 are in gripping relation. To release the clipthe body is moved relative to the lever or the lever is swung relativeto the body about the pivots ll soas to have the body and lever relatedas in Fig. 3, in which figure the lever is in released position and thearms are open with their ends 2| and 22 in spaced relation.

To apply the open or released clip the ends of its arms are disposed atopposite sides of a portion of the garment to be held and then the leverand body are moved relatively by turning on the pivots I! (usually bypressing upwardly and inwardly on the upper front of'rnember I0) causingthe toe-like portion Hi to ride or cani against the curved surface 25 ofthe arm 20, whereby the arms I!) and 20 are caused to move toward oneanother to have their ends grip the garment as will be understood. Theside ribs I911 and 200, also grip the garment to prevent the clipsliding sideways on this garment under a lateral or sidewise pull on thesupporter. This is important in. use on suspenders to prevent lateralslipping of the clip on the garment due to lateral strain on thesuspender incident to movements of the body of the wearer. As the ribs20a are within the ribs l9a bends are produced in the garment as itpasses over the edges of these ribs giving a more effective grip. As thementioned relative swinging of the body and lever continue the end of,the toe-like portion l6 of the lever snaps into the recess 21, and atthe same time the upper portion of arm 20 comes against the portion 29of the lever II at the outer or upper end of the inclined portion I5.

This brings the lever to locked position, and it will be apparent thatfurther relative turning of the body and lever in the same directioncannot take place as the lever and body are in engagement. Also, thelever has moved through a dead-center position as shown by thehorizontal line 30 in Fig. 2, and therefore it will be seen that thelever will not be accidentally moved or started in the oppositedirection or toward released position. This holding or securing of thelever against accidental movement toward released position is alsoprevented by the entrance of the toe-like portion of the lever into therecess 2'! in arm 20. As such portion enters the recess the lever movesthrough a dead-center position and also the body l comes into engagementwith the lever portion 29.

To release the clip from a garment it is but necessary to swing theupper end of the body In outwardly away from the lever ll to have thetoe-like portion l6 extending substantially parallel with the bodyinstead of transversely thereto as when the clip is locked. Then as thetoe-like portion of the lever assumes the position of Fig. 3 the arms l9and 20 and gripping jaws 2| and 22 are free to move apart, and the bodybeing of spring metal these arms are constantly tending to separate ormove to released positions.

Attention is directed to the fact that the entire clip comprises but twoparts namely the body I0 and the lever II. Also, such body and lever areeach formed of a single piece of. metal. The body may be of any suitablespring material as steel, aluminum, brass or the like. The lever mayalso be of any suitable material. The clip is easily operated since tomanually release it it is but necessary to force apart the upper portionof the body and the corresponding portion of the lever. To look the clipit is but necessary to force the mentioned portions of the body and lever toward one another, and this so positions the parts that the leveris extending along the body and the toe-like portion 16 of the lever istransversely of the body holding the arms in gripping relation. Beforecontact of the lever with the body the lever moves through a dead-centerposition and the portion l6 snaps into the recess 2'! so that the clipwill not become accidentally released.

Fig. 8 shows a slight modification wherein all the parts are the samewtih the exception that instead of the locking recess 21 in the arm 20of the body it is provided with a bead 3| forming a locking means forthe same purpose. With this arrangement when the lever is moved tolocked position its toe-like portion snaps over the bead and isthereafter held by the bead against accidental movement toward releasedposition. Both this bead 3| and the recess 21 provide a shoulder whichresists movement of the toe piece I6 to released position and thereforeprovide a sort of locking means to prevent accidental release or openingof the clip, but the portion 20 of the body will yield laterally topermit the end of the toe I6 to ride over these devices to permitrelease of the clip by the operator.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

l. A garment holding clip comprising a one piece body member ofresilient sheet metal of substantially U-shape providing a front arm anda rear arm, said arms having inwardly directed end portions at theirfree ends forming cooperating gripping means to hold a garment, saidarms also having inwardly directed edge portions at their side edgesextending backwardly away from said free end portions arranged to gripthe garment and hold the clip against sliding sidewise on the garment,said rear arm having inwardly and oppositely inclined portions leadingto an intermediate recess, said forward arm being provided with integralears on its opposite side edges extending backwardly on opposite sidesof the rear arm, a lever having means for securing it to a garmentsupporting web and including a downwardly and rearwardly inclinedportion leading from said securing means, means pivotally mounting thelever on and between said ears, and the lower end portion of said leverextending forwardly to provide a free edge to engage said rear arm andride on an inclined portion thereof. to and from said recess on pivotalturning movements of the body on said lever to cause movement of thegripping ends of the arms toward and from each other to grip and releasethe garment.

2. A garment holding clip comprising a one piece body member ofresilient sheet metal of substantially U-shape providing front and reararms, said arms having inwardly directed end portions at their free endsforming cooperating gripping means to hold a garment, said arms alsohaving inwardly directed edge portions at their side edges extendingbackwardly away from said free end portions arranged to grip the garmentand hold the clip against sliding sidewise on the garment, the armsbeing of somewhat different lengths so that one of said gripping por-'tions is inwardly of the other, said rear arm having oppositely inclinedportions extending toward the front leading to an intermediate recess,

' said forward arm being provided with integral ears on its oppositeside edges extending backwardly therefrom toward the rear arm, a leverpivoted on said ears and having means for securing it to a garmentsupporting web, said lever including a body portion and a laterally andinwardly extending end portion providing a free edge to engage said reararm and ride on an inclined portion thereof to and from the recess onturning movements of the body member on said lever to cause movement ofthe gripping portions toward and from each other to grip and release thegarment, and said rear arm having a shoulder at the recess, to resistmovement of the free edge of the lever from the recess.

LEE OLIVER.

